Automatic air-brake



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. P. BROWN. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

J. P. BROWN. Y AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE. No. 520,391. Patented May 22, 1894.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICEe JOSEPH P. BROWN, OF SOMERSET, KENTUCKY.

VAUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,391, dated May 22, 1894. Application filed January 22, 1894. Serial No. 497,659. (No model.)

I To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerset, in the county of Pulaski and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinAutomaticAir-Brakesfor Railroad-Cars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic air brakes for railway cars, and the object in viewis to provide a system by which theengineer in the cab of the locomotive will be automatically signaled when any one or more of the car-brakes are cut out of his control by accidental movement of one of the 'angle-cocks on the brake-hose between the cars, and to enable the engineer to apply the brakes on the remaining cars in order to bring them to a standstill at a point of safety.

In this invention I contemplate the use of a second or additional pipe independent of the primary pressure pipe for operating the brakes on the cars, and this second or additional pipe, which I shall hereinafter term a safety pipe, is connected with an automatic, pneumatic-whistle or other suitable signal in the cab of the locomotive, and the safety-pipe is furthermore connected with an engineers three-way valve and with an airres'ervoir in which a pressure is maintained greater than the pressure in the primarybrake-pipe. On each car is providedan angle cock to which is connected the hose provided with the coupling-members by which the adjacent cars can be coupled in series; and each angle cock is constructed withla plug havingl a passage which normally is in line with the chamber of the shell of the cock so that the air pressure required for the manipulation of the brake is free to pass through the angle-cock. The plug of this cock is further provided with longitudinal passages which, when the plug is accidentally turned to bring the passage out of line with the airpassage in the valve-shell, are brought to align with vertical passages in the cock-shell y'by-pass passages or ports which lead from the brake-pipe passages to the safety-pipe chamber, so that when the engineer turns the three-Way valve to admit an air-pressure from the high-pressure reservoir into the safetypipe, the supplemental valve in the angleclock will be moved to close the by-pass passages and cause the air from the brake-pipe 7o to pass through the angle-cock and oninto the brake-pipe of the adjoining car, whereby the brakes can be applied and the cars brought to a standstill.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic View illustrating myimprove- 8o ment in connection with a locomotive and an ordinary railway car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of the angle cocks. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on the same scale as Fig. 2, the plane of the section 8 5 being taken horizontally through the air passage for the brake-pressure in the upper part of the angle cock, and showing the plug turned out of position so that the air will escape into the safety pipe. Fig. 4 is a sec- 9o tional View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the supplemental valve in t e angle cock in its normalposition to permit the air to pass, from the brake-pressure pipe, into the safety-pipe, the plug of the angle-cock being in the position shownby Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which- A designates thehigh-pressure air-reservoir 1 oo on the locomotive and in which the air under pressure, say of one hundred pounds, is supplied by any suitable means. To this highpressure reservoir is connected a reducing valve, B, so constructed with atension spring or other device that the air in passing from the reservoir through the valve will be reduced in pressure from one hundred pounds to about eighty pounds, or to any pressure at a suitable point above the pressure under which the air is supplied through the primary brake-pipe to operate the brakes, it being essential in my invention that the air pressure in the safety-pipe shall be in excess of the air pressure in the brake-pipe. From this reducing valve leads a pipe, C, which is connected to a three-way valve, D, in the cab of the locomotive, which valve is within convenient reach of the locomotive engineer and under his immediate control.

E is an angle cock on the tender or one of the cars of the train, and F is another anglecock on the adjacent end of the next car. To the cock, E, is connected the primary-brakepipe, G which leads to the cab and to which the air under the pressure necessary to apply the brakes is supplied in the usual or any preferred way. To a separate chamber of this ,angle-cock, E, is connected the safety-pipe nected a similar brake-hose, K, and `safetyhose, L. These brake hose I, K, and safetyhose, J, L, may be detachably connected together by the separable couplings, M, of the usual or any preferred pattern.

Having now described the general organization of my automatic brake, Iwill now proceed to a detailed description of the angle cock shown by Figs. 2, 3, and 4of the drawings; and as each angle-cock is the same in construction and mode of operation, a description of one cock will answer for the others. The shell `N of the cock is provided with a vertical tapered seat, n within the same for the tapered plug, O, which is fitted snugly within said seat, n, and normally pressed against the same by means of a coiled spring, n', one end of which bears against the plug and the other end lof said spring bears against the bridge, o, which is fixed in the shell, N, beyond the seat of the plug, said bridge having a socket in which is fitted the spring so that the latter is not liable to become displaced. Below this bridge, the shell, N, of the cock is provided with a chamber, P, with which connects the safetypipe, and between this chamber, P, and the plug is'arranged a valve-seat, q, on which is seated a supplemental valve, Q, which plays f toward and from the bridge, o, said supple\ mental valve having a pendent stem by which it is guided in its seat. The plug, O, is

,adapted to be turned axially within the shell N of the angle cockfor which purpose it is furnished with an external handle, o', connected to one end thereof so that the trainman can turn the plug to cut off the how of air through the brake-pipe. In this plug is provided the passage, r, which is cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the plug, and when the brake mechanism is in operative condition, the'plug is turned `so that this passage, r, is inline with the passage, R, through the shell, N, to which passage is connected the primary brake-pipe. This plug, O, of the angle-cock is further provided with vertical by-pass ducts or passages, s s', which are formed therein on diametrically opposite sides and in the walls of the shell, N, are provided vertical passages, s and s, which passages extend downward through and across the lower part of the bridge, so that said passages, s and s meet at a `common point, 3, over the supplemental valve, as shown by Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

This being the construction of my brake mechanism, the operation may be described as follows: The primary brake-pipes are to be charged with air, `say to a pressure of seventy pounds, all the angle-cocks are opened, and the hose on the rear car of the train are connected to a dummy hose coupling. While the' train is in motion, the angle-cocks are liable to be turned accidentally by a chainv striking against the same, and through the ignorance or carelessness of a person on the car, in which event the air in the primary brake pipe G cannot pass through the passages, R, r, in the angle cock, so that the brakes beyond that particular'car are cut out of service.- In the event of the plug being turned to cut off the brake mechanism, the passages, s, sf in the plug will be brought into alignment with the passages, sand s, so that the air will pass down the passages, past the valve O, and into the chamber P, from whence the air passes through the safety pipe to the cab of the locomotive and therey operates the signal to warn the engineer that the brake mechanism is out of order. The engineer now operates his three-Way valve, D, to permit air under a higher pressure than the train-brake pressure to pass from the reservoir A through the pipe C and the safety pipe l-I so that this high pressure air will force or lift the supplemental valve Q against the bridge, o, to close the common point, 3 ofthe passages, s and 8', whereby the air in the train pipe is caused to pass down the passages s, s on one side of the plug, then across from the passages s, s up to and through the passages, s', S, and thence to the opposite side of the plug and through the primary brake-pipe, the valve, Q, being held against the bridge by the greater pressure of air in the safetypipe. The train can thus be brought to a standstill with safety, and the engineer should examine all the stop cocks to see that they are in proper position, then restore the three way valve to its irst position to release the air from the safety pipe, and the train is then ready to proceed on its way. e It is evident that slight changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction of the mechanism can be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a primary brake pipe, of a safety-pipe connected with a signal mechanism, an angle-cock to which both the brakeand safety pipes are connected, and a plug in said angle cock having means for admitting the air from the brake pipe to pass into the safety pipe should said plug be turned to shut off the passage of air through said primary-brake pipe, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination with a primary brakepipe, a high-pressure air reservoir, and a safety-pipe connected with said reservoir, of an angle cock to which said brake pipe and said safety pipe are connected and provided with a plug constructed to permit air to pass from the brake pipe into the safety pipe, and mechanism operated by -pressure from the high-pressure reservoir to cut off the passage of air from the brake pipe to the safety pipe and cause said air to continue around the plug, through by-pass ducts, into and through angle cock having by-pass passages through which the air from the brake pipe can pass into the safety pipe when said plugis turned to shut off the passage of air through the brake pipe, and valve mechanism within Said angle cock arranged to be operated by high pressure current from the reservoir to close the passage of air from the brake-pipe into the safety pipe and cause the air in the brake pipe to pass around the plug and continue through said brake-pipe, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a brake-pipe, a safety-pipe, a reservoir connected with said safety-pipe, an angle cock connected with said brake and safety-pipes and having the bypass ducts around the plug-seat therein, a plug within said angle-cock and provided with the transverse port and with the ducts arranged to align with the by-pass ducts, and a supplemental'valve operating against the by-pass ducts to prevent the same from discharging into the safety-pipe, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a brake pipe, of a safety pipe connected with a signaling mechanism, a high-pressure reservoir, a three way valve between said reservoir and the safety-pipe, an angle cock connected with the brake and safety pipes and provided with the by-pass ducts around its plug-seat and with the valve seat, a plug having the transverse port and the ducts arranged to coincide with the by-pass ducts, and the valve normally resting on said valve seat and exposed to action of the high-pressure current from the reservoir to cut off the passage of air from the brake-pipe into the safety pipe and cause the air to continue around the plug and through the brake-pipe, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH P. BROWN.

Witnesses:

C. S. BIoKnRs, THos. J. LENEHAN. 

